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DAY 1 REPORT FROM THE BELLAGIO
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18 October 2005
This is coming at you live from Vegas, baby, where earlier today (yesterday technically for all you time pedants) I managed to outlast a big field of the best in the world, somehow, and earn over $9,000. Today, I entered the Super-Satellite for the WPT main event. There were over 400 players, and 37 Doyle Brunson North American Poker Championship seats were up for grabs. The lineup was nothing short of ferocious - at my table alone at one time or another I duelled with Evelyn Ng, Joe Sebok, Kenna James, and Eddie Schaarf. The buy in of $1000 + $60 was big for me as it was, and I started out tight as a drum...
In the first 3 sessions - or 2 hours of play - I won only two significant pots. Both saw me all-in, and thankfully in both instances the best hand (mine) held up. First up I was raised in the small blind and re-raised all-in holding JJ. He called with 77 - very weak I thought. JJ doubled me up. Then a moment of concern: player to my right raises, I re-raise big with AA, leaving myself only 1500 chips. To be honest, I thought he had Ax and would fold. But he called. Flop came Tc-Jc-Qd. Couldn`t really be worse for my 2 red Aces. He checked, I had to go all-in, and he called so quickly I was sure he had me beaten. AK, JQ, TJ, or any set were all big possibilities. Instead he turned over Ac7c! Thankfully my AA held up, with no more clubs.
But by the time I was moved to a new table I was in real trouble. I had 3300 chips and the blinds were already 200-400 with 25 antes. There were still well over 200 players left, and I felt like I had to make a move. I got A8 unsuited in middle-position, and pushed all-in. I did this because I was new to the table, and hoped that no-one had a hand to call me - it`s hard to call a new player when you have a marginal hand. Well, it wasn`t hard for one elderly gentleman, and he flipped over 99. The flop was miserable for me - QT2 - but then the turn was an A. From that lucky moment onwards, I played very solid and successful poker. My table persona following that lucky suck-out was that I was a weak, idiotic player. That made it very easy to cash in with some good play, and some good cards, finally.
It was at this table, with 12,000 chips that I played the best no-limit hand of my life. It was a subtle thing, but I had a plan, and it worked perfectly. I was in the big blind - 300-600 blinds with 50 antes. I held 99. An aggressive player made it 1,800 to go (she had AQ suited she later told me). A top poker pro on the button called the 1,800. I thought about mucking the hand, because I just knew that one or both of them had a higher pocket pair. But there was some value in taking a flop. And it came 4-6-9 giving me top set.
Now every pro or fancy player I know checks this monster flop. I thought about it, and decided that it was best to bet out weakly for 2,000. I wanted an over the top re-raise. because my bet looked like I held 7-8 or top pair, exactly the kind of weak hand and weak bet that a weak player would make. If I checked then the other two would check or value-bet on the button, and when I re-raised it would give everything away. The first bettor folded, but the button went for it and raised me all-in for 10,000 more. He had TT and was amazed when I turned over top set. Afterwards he told the table that the bet on the flop was a fantastic play, and earning his respect meant almost as much to me as cashing in this event, although not quite exactly as much.
This win set me up to make a big run for the $10k seat. I ended the second break with over 20000 chips, and built up my stack to 30000 when I was moved to a table of sharks. Joe Sebok, Barry Greenstein`s son, and a major budding talent in his own right (two WSOP final tables this year alone) was on my immediate left. That was bad for me. Every time I limped in or bet weakly he crushed me. As fate would have it I knocked him out later in the event, when my A4 rather fortunately beat his KK all-in. He was short stacked and it was an easy call for me at the time under the circumstances (I had a big stack and was already in the pot for a couple thousand chips). The flop came A-4-x, and when the turn brought an A it was all over. He is a great player, and a lot more will be heard about him in the future. Also a really nice guy as well. When Sebok left he was replaced by Kenna James! James is one of the giants of no-limit touraments, with 8 big wins in 2003 events alone. He is also a constant chatterer, wailer of country and western tunes, mixed in with songs like "I can`t live, if living is without you", all designed to drive his opponents to tears, madness, and complete distraction.
Kenna James qualified easily for the main event, and it was no thanks to the fact that I surrendered all my small blinds to him, mostly because I had nothing, but also because he is such a tough and aggressive player that I didn`t want to force the issue with him, with so much at stake. There were few moments of drama after Kenna came in for Joe at our table. I had the chips to make it to the final 37, and only had to hold on as the blinds continued to increase. When the end came, I decided to take the money rather than a seat in the main event. I`m now up over $9000 for the trip, and there are more satellite events tomorrow, which will be like a freeroll for me. I will update you on these tournaments, and the main event this time tomorrow!
Live, and exhuasted, from the Bellagio (now 3:15 am my time) I am signing off...
Posted by: Marc at 12:38
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